Teletypewriter equipment



March 22, 1938. F. J SINGER TELETYPEWRI'TER EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 22,1936' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR F. J SINGER BY 2 2 j ATTORNEY March 22,1938. F. J. SINGER I TELETYPEWRITER EQUIPMENT Filed. Aug. 22, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 2 m w M w F. J. SINGER MU ATTORNEY km R QR m5 bk 3SheetsS'neet 5 INVENTOR F. J. SINGER ATTORNE) F. J. SINGERTELETYPEWRITER EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 22, 1936 March 22, 1938.

Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES TELETYPEWRITER EQUIPMENT Fred J.Singer, Rockville Centre, N. Y., assignor to Bell TelephoneLaboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication August 22, 1936, Serial No. 97,354 6 Claims. (Cl. 178-1)This invention relates to an improved teletypewriter exchangeswitchboard of the type shown in Patent 2,037,193 granted April 14, 1936to A. A. Burgess et al., and, more particularly, to means for increasingthe area, available to an operator, of the jack-field of the switchboardmultiple.

V The practices used in operating telephone exchange switchboards cannotall be followed in operating teletypewriter exchange switchboards. Forexample, a telephone operator can place her chair close to theswitchboard multiple and the extent of the area of the jack-field thenavailable to her will be limited by the length of her arm. However, inteletypewriter exchange switchboard practice the area of the jack-fieldavailable to an operator is limited by a factor not found in telephoneswitchboard practice. This factor is the operators teletypewriter whichis usually located in front of her thereby blocking off an amount of thejack-field equal in dimension to the length and height of theteletypewriter. Thus, when the operator wishes to insert a plug in ajack, she reaches up above her teletypewriter to the jack-field, the toprow of which is determined by the limit of her reach. However, theeffectiveness of 'her reach is limited by the height of hereteletypewriter since the height of the jack-field available to her isroughly equal to the length of her reach minus the height of herteletypewriter.

The teletypewriters ordinarily employed at teletypewriter exchangeswitchboards are usually about ten and one-half inches high. Theseteletypewriters are generally placed just below the front of theswitchboard multiple with the result that the multiple commences aboutten and. one-half inches above the possible operating level which is atthe keyboards of the teletypewriters. Thus, the number of rows of jacksthat can be reached by an operator is distinctly limited by thisconstruction since the total number of multiple jacks that an operatoris able to reach is less than if her teletypewriter were lower inheight.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to increase the area ofthe jack-field available to an operator at a teletypewriter exchangeswitchboard.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a teletypewriterexchange switchboard with a novel teletypewriter table and assembly.

These objects are accomplished by decreasing the effective height of theoperators teletypewriter so as to enable the operator to reach a greateramount of the jack-field of the switchboard multiple. To obtain thisdecrease in the effective height of the operators teletypewiter,

the operators table is provided with a sloping,

or slanting, top. The construction of this table is suchthat the highpart of the table top is that edge nearest to the operator and the lowpart of the top is that edge nearest to the switchboard. Thus, the topof the table slopes downward from the front of the table to the rearwith the result that the back edge of the table top is several incheslower than the front edge.

With this construction, when a teletypewriter is placed upon thisslanting table top, the bottom of the teletypewriter, in the preferredembodiment of the invention, is approximately three and one-eighthinches higher than it would be with the usual horizontal table top. Thissaving in operating height enables the operators chair to be raisedabout three and one-eighth inches thereby providing, on a six-panelmultiple, space within 'the operators reach for approximately 360additional jacks and lamps to be connected to an additional 360subscribers lines.

This increase in the area of the jack-field available to the operatorsincreases the capacity of the operators positions. In view of thesteadily increasing demand for teletypewriter exchange facilities, thisincrease in the capacity of the operators positions becomes of inceasingimportance. Futhermorej the lowering of the bottom of the jack-field ofthe switchboard multiple with respect to the position of the operatordecreases the average amount of reach in answering and completing calls,thereby reducing the amount of time required to answer and completecalls and likewise reducing the amount of fatigue experienced by theoperators in doing this type of work. As a result of this reduction inboth time and fatigue, the efliciency of the operators is increased.

This design also takes into consideration the fact that the optimumwidth of one section of a teletypewriter exchange switchboard isapproximately twenty and one-half inches, and this spacing is consideredto be a minimum spacing for operators and permits a maximum number ofoperators to be placed alongside a given length of switchboard. In otherwords, it enables a minimum length of switchboard to serve a particularnumber of subscribers lines.

The above features and other novel features of this teletypewriter tableand assembly will be explained in more detail in connection with thedrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a portion of a teletypewritercentral oflice having a small teletypewriter exchange switchboard withtwo operators tables and teletypewriters arranged in front 01' it andconstructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a three-dimensional view of a teletypewriter and cover mountedupon an operator's table fully supplied with position equipment;

Fig; 3 is a three-dimensional view of the operators table shown in Fig.2, but with the teletypewriter, cover, and position equipment removed;and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly shown in Fig. 2and mounted under the projecting key-shelf of the switchboard in themanner shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 represents a small teletypewriter exchange switchboard I similarto that disclosed in Patent 2,037,193, granted April 14, 1936, to A. A.Burgess et al. The disclosure of this Burgess et al. patent isincorporated herein by reference as a part of this specification.Returning now to the consideration of Fig. 1, the upper front portion ofthe teletypewriter exchange switchboard I has a jack-field 24 comprisingrows of jacks 25. Just above the jack-field 24 are busy test lamps 20and ticket boxes 2I for storing message rate tickets 22. Immediatelybelow the jack-field 24 are the messenger, supervisor, and othermiscellaneous positional keys 36.

Slightly lower down on the switchboard I is the projecting, oroverhanging, key-shelf 4 having a row of calling and answering plugs 23,a row of supervisory lamps 29, and a row of supervisory keys 30. Behindthe lower portion of each section of switchboard I is position relayequipment (not shown) which is connected by suitable conductors toterminal strips (not shown) and to outlets I. Also behind the lowerportion of the switchboard I is a conduit (not shown) leading from thelocal source of power supply (not shown) and connected to outlets II.

Directly in front of the switchboard I are the operatorsiteletypewriters 2-2, each of which is mounted upon a table 3. Forthe-sake of simplicity, only two teletypewriters 2-2 and tables 3-3 havebeen shown and it is to be understood that more may be readily employedif desired. As is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, key-shelf 4 projects outward adistance suflicient to permit a teletypewriter 2 and a table 3 to fitunderneath to the extent of about half their width to enable theoperators to sit close to the jack-field 24 for efficient operation.moved up and down the length of the switchboard I in accordance withdifferent traflic requirements. The width of these tables 3 isapproximately 20% inches, which is just a. little less than the optimumwidth of one section of a teletypewriter exchange switchboard, which isapproximately 20 inches The feet of each table 3 are provided with abase composed of non-resilient material, such as hard rubber. To insurethat the top of a table 3 will be stable and to obviate jiggling oftable 3, the bases 65 may be removed to permit the insertion of astabilizing device (not shown), after which the bases 65 may bereplaced. An alternative means of stabilizing table 3 over an unevenfloor surface is to use bases composed of resilient or compressiblematerial, such as a rubber composition, which is designed to becompressible in accordance with the unevenness of the surface of thefloor of the switchboard room to reduce left of the teletypewriterTables 3 may be readily table 3.

' I3 for preventing the tipping or jiggling of the table 3. If the floorof the switchboard room is sufliciently level, then the legs of eachtable 3 may be provided with cup-shaped feet of hard brass to facilitatesliding the tables 3 up and down the length of the switchboard inaccordance with different traiiic requirements.

Each operator's teletypewriter 2 and table 3 is provided with positionequipment located at the 2 and mounted upon readily removable panels 68and 69 to facilitate removal for maintenance or modification to meetdifferent requirements of diflerent installations. These panels 68 and69 are best seen in Fig. 2 and are fitted into holes I0 and II (shown inFig. 3) in the key-box I5. This position equipment includes an electriccalculagraph 41 used by the operator to time messages as a basis fordetermining the amount to be charged for a par ticular call.calculagraph 41 is provided with levers 31, one of which is used toindicate on a message rate ticket 22 the time when the message began andthe other to indicate the time the message ended. Also included are theoperator's position keys 46 for performing the supervisory functions ofringing on the answering cord, cord circuit splitting, recall andrecall-release. These keys 46 are connected by leads (not shown) to aconnecting block 82 (Fig. 4) located inside keybox I5.

This position equipment is connectible to the switchboard I by the linecable 8 and the power cable I2. Line cable 8 has a plug 3 which isadapted to fit into any of the outlets I, at the base of switchboard I,leading to the position relay equipment (not shown) inside switchboardI. Power cable I2 has a plug I3 which is adapted to be inserted into anyof the power outlets I I, at the base of switchboard I, leading to thelocal source of power supply (not shown).

Since the tables 3 are usually located about 6 inches apart, as is shownin Fig. 1, it is practical to mount a telephone handset I6 upon the leftend of table 3. To prevent the mouthpiece of telephone I6 from marringthe left-end panel of table 3, a small square pad 90 of resilientmaterial, such as rubber or felt, is attached to the panel of table 3 asshown in Fig. 2. Telephone I6 is connected to the switchboard I by acord H which passes through a hole end panel of table 3" to theconnecting block 32. The telephone circuit then passes from theconnecting block 82 over conductors in cable 3 and through outlet 1 tothe relay equipment inside the switchboard I.

In Fig. 3, table 3 is shown devoid of panels 83 and 69, teletypewriter 2and the used tape storage receptacle or container I4. Along the lowerleft end of the table frame are two studs 33-33 for securing the usedtape container I4 in a manner to be described hereinafter. Leatherwashers 36 are placed around these studs 33' to prevent container I4from marring the frame of The lower front side of the table 3 is bracedby a steel pipe 39 which also serves as a foot-rest for the operator.

The top of table 3 is divided into two parts. The right portion I2 ofthe top slopes from the front downward to the rear for supporting ateletypewriter 2 and has a bracket, or stop bar,

teletypewriter 2 from sliding, or slipping, oil the table top. Thesurface of this portion I2 is covered with a felt base I4 to adsorb anddeaden the noise of the operation of teletypewriter 2. The left portionof the table top comprises a key-box'15 having a horizontal top havingholes, or cut-outs, 1.8 and 1| for receiving panels 68 and 69. Attachedto the middle of the top of key-box. is a face-plate 81 to which issecured the hinged cover, or cap, I6 of the used tape chute TI whichwill be described hereinafter. These two parts-of the table top aresupported by a bent steel bar brace 18, which also serves as a brace forthe frame of table 3. A similar brace I9 is located at the upper rightfront corner of table 3 for supporting the top of table 3 and also forbracing the right side of table 3.

As is shown in Fig. 4, a connecting block 82 is attached to the innersurface of the left-end panel of table 3 and is partially located insidekey-box 15. Connecting block 82 is provided with a receptacle forreceiving plug 92 of the line cable 8 and is also provided withterminals 93 designed to be connected to the wiring of panels 68 and 69.Atthe right of connecting block 82 is a small jack panel 88 having fourjacks, or receptacles. A cord 94 having a plug 95 carries the linecircuit from connecting block 82 into panel 88. From here the linecircuit goes out over plug BI and cord 98 into teletypewriter 2. Thepower circuit for operating teletypewriter 2 leads from power cable I2over plug 83 into panel 88 and then out over plug 91 and cord 99 toteletypewriter 2.

Each table 3 is provided with a thin rectangular tube 11 which serves asa chute for the used tape 48. The upper end of tube 11 is attached tothe face-plate 81, which isv secured to the top of key-box l5, and thelower end of the tape chute I1 is secured to the upper left part of theframe of table 3 by a bracket 86. Cap 16 for tape chute 11 is attachedto face-plate 81 by a hinge 88 so that access to chute 'I'I may be hadin the event that tape 48 should stick to chute I1 or in case anoperator should want to read back used tape 48. Fig. 2 shows cap 16 inits normal position and Fig. 3 shows it raised up. Cap 13 is sopositioned over the entrance to chute 11 that the tape 48 isautomatically deflected into chute 11 by the curved top of cap 16 andneed not be initially introduced therein by hand.

The used tape container, or receptacle, I4 is preferably made of sheetmetal and fits in between the left legs of table 3 so that itsside isflush with .the inner sides of these legs. Container i4 is secured totable 3 by the two studs 38, which fit into holes (not shown) in thebottom of container l4. Marring of the frame of table 3 by container i4is prevented by two leather washers 36, which are placed over studs 38so that they come between the frame of table 3 and the bottom ofcontainer l4. The side of container l4 that faces the inside of table 3has a lip 98 (Fig. 4) that extends above the top of container I4. Thislip 98 rests against a cleat 89 secured to the upper part of the frameon the left end of table 3. Container I4 is held in place by studs 38and also by the fact that its center of gravity is outside the frame oftable 3 and hence tends to tip container M outward, a movement which isprevented by lip 98 bearing against cleat 89. In the event that thetables 3--3 in Fig. 1 should be pushed together, the container M of thetable 3 atthe right in Fig. 1 would fit in between the right pair oflegs of the left table 3 and would come flush with their inner sides.

Mounted upon the slanting top 12 of each table 3 is a teletypewriter 2.Each teletypewriter 75 2 has supports (not shown) which rest on the feltbase 14 which serves to insure stability and to deaden the noise ofoperation. Teletypewriter 2 is placed on base 14 in such a position thatthe stop bar 13 comes against the back supports of the teletypewriter tohold it firmly in place.

Ordinarily, the highest part of the teletypewriter 2 is the rearportion. However, since top 12 slants downward to the rear, the normallyhigh rear part of teletypewriter 2 is correspondingly lowered. Thedifference in height between the front part of top 12 and the rear partis so great that, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, thenormally high rear part is lowered to such an extent that the top of theteletypewriter 2 is approximately 3 and inches lower with respect to thefront of the table than it would be if top 12 were horizontal. Thisenables the operators chair to be raised about 3 inches therebyproviding, on a six-panel multiple, space within the operator's reachfor approximately 360 additional jacks and lamps to be connected to anadditional 368 subscribers lines.

This sloping position of teletypewriter 2 makes it desirable to use acover 58 of new design for the teletypewriter 2 instead of the usualcover. The cover 58 comprises two end plates to which the one-pieceback, top and bottom part of the front of the cover 58 are spot-welded.The upper part 5| of the front of the cover 58 is hinged to the topportion of cover 58 and fits in between the end plates the same as theback and top. This lid, or hinged. front part, 5| of cover 58 is hingedso that it may be lifted up as shown in the dotted lines in Fig, 4 tofacilitate changing the inking ribbon of the teletypewriter or the tape48 without the trouble of pulling the table 3 out from under thekey-shelf 4 as would be necessary if cover 58 were constructed in allone piece. A stop, or trough, 53 is attached to the lower right portionof lid 5| for holding a pencil 54 and toll, or message rate, tickets 22.Secured to the left portion of lid 5| is a glass plate 55 through whichthe printed portion of tape 48 may be read.

Cover 58 is constructed with a minimum number of openings to confine thenoise of the operation of teletypewriter 2 within the cover 58, where itwill be absorbed by the lining (not shown) of sound absorbent material.To further reduce the number of openings in cover 58,

the tape reel 56 is mounted on the cover 58 rather than on table 3. Thisenables tape 48 to pass over the straightening feed roller I9 and thenthrough a. narrow slot l8 in the right end of cover 58. Tape 48 passesover the typing mechanism of teletypewriter 2 and then out through anarrow slot (not shown) in the left end of cover 58, under cap 18, andthen through the tape chute TI to the used tape container H. To furtherprevent noise from issuing from teletypewriter 2, the openings in cover58 around the hinged lid 5| and around the keyboard of teletypewriter 2are provided with a seal (not shown) made of folded sheet rubber. Thusthe noise of operation of the teletypewriters 2 is considerablydiminished.

It can be seen in the drawings that the top of the table 58 is not in aplane parallel to that of the sloping table top 12 and that, instead, itlies in a horizontal plane. This shape of the cover 58 takes advantageof the fact that the front part of teletypewriter 2 is not as high asthe rear part. Consequently, the efi'ect of this construction isequivalent to reducing by about one inch the height of the ordinarycover generally used.

On the inside of the back of the cover are two hooks (not shown) whichengage with the -metai bracket, or stop bar, 13. The bracket 13comprises two metal parts 51 and 58 held together with a strip of felt59 in between, the rear metal part 58 being secured to the table top 12.The hooks on cover 50 engage with the rear metal part 58, which is sodesigned that the movement of the cover 50 is very limited. The frontmetal part 51 forms a cradle into which the back of the teletypewriterbase fits. Thus. this bracket 13 prevents direct contact between cover50 and teletypewriter 2 thereby serving to further muflle the noise ofthe operation of teletypewriter 2.

By means of this teletypewriter and table assembly, the operators areable to make more eflicient use of the switchboard multiple and thenumber of jacks that can be reached by each operator is materiallyincreased with a consequential increase in the capacity of the office.Of course, it is to be understood that additional modifications withinthe scope of the principles herein outlined are within the scope of theinvention as herein set forth and claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A table for supporting a printing telegraph machine together with itsposition equipment, said table having a sloping top for supporting theprinting telegraph machine, said top sloping from the front of the tabledownward to the rear, and a key-box for supporting the positionequipment, said key-box having a horizontal top.

2. A table for supporting a tape printing telegraph machine togetherwith its position equip ment, said table having a sloping top forsupporting the printing telegraph machine, said top sloping downwardfrom the front of the table to the rear, a key-box for supporting theposition equipment, said key-box having a horizontal top, and a tapechute attached to the key-box and having a hinged cover with a curvedtop for guiding tape.

3. In combination a teletypewriter and table assembly including a tablehaving a slanting top, said top slanting from the front of. the tabledownward to the rear, a teletypewriter mounted upon the slanting top ofthe table, holding means for preventing the teletypewriter from slidingoi! the top of the table, a cover for the teletypewriter, said cover,having a horizontal top, positiom equipment for the teletypewriter, anda key-box for supporting the position equipment, id key-box having ahorizontal top.

4. In combination a teletypewriter and table assembly, including a tablehaving a slanting top, said top slanting from the front of the tabledownward to the rear, a teletypewriter mounted upon the slanting top ofthe table, holding means for preventing the teletypewriter from slidingoil! the top of the table, a cover for the teletypewriter, said coverhaving a horizontal top, position equipment for the teletypewriter, saidposition equipment being mounted upon panels, and a key-box forsupporting the position equipment, said key-box being provided with ahorizontal top having receptacles forreceiving said panels.

5. In a printing telegraph central oilice, a printing telegraph exchangeswitchboard having a projecting key-shelf, a' table. movably locatedunderneath the projecting key-shelf of the switchboard, said tablehaving a top slanting downward from the front of the table to the rear,a teletypewriter mounted upon the slanting top of the table, holdingmeans for preventing the teletypewriter from sliding of! the top of thetable, a cover for the teletypewriter, said cover having a horizontaltop, position equipment for the teletypewriter, and a key-box having ahorizontal top for supporting the position equipment, saidteletypewriter and table being adapted to be moved up and down thelength of the switchboard in accordance with varying trafllc conditions.

6. In a teletypewriter central office including in combination ateletypewriter exchange switchboard having an operators teletypewriterand a table positioned in front of the switchboard, said switchboardhaving a ck-field, the method of increasing the area of the jack-fieldavailable to the operator, said method comprising sloping the top of thetable downward from the front to the rear, mounting the teletypewriterupon the top of the table, and lowering the bottom of the jackfield downnear the top of the teletypewriter.

FRED J. SINGER.

